UMSL Receives National Award for Commitment to Diversity

UMSL Chancellor Tom George and Deborah Burris, chief diversity officer at UMSL, announced Oct. 18 that UMSL was one of 55 colleges and universities in the nation, and the only one in Missouri, to receive the 2013 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award.

Deborah Burris, chief diversity officer at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, wears a big smile when she talks about the history of UMSL’s commitment to diversity.

“From our beginning in 1963, we set out to open our doors to everyone,” Burris said. “Our progress and success is the result of the dedication and hard work of several campus units and many individuals.”

For that commitment, UMSL recently received the 2013 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. UMSL is one of 55 U.S. colleges and universities and the only one in Missouri recognized for its outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

“This campus has committed itself on every level to fostering and embracing a culture of inclusion characterized by the recognition and appreciation of the contributions of all people,” UMSL Chancellor Tom George said. “We are preparing graduates for a dynamic and adaptable work force where cooperation and competition are increasingly waged from the local to the global level.”